Burmese Army Allows Wa Drug Dealers

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Subject: Burmese Army Allows Wa Drug Dealers to Flood Thailand


The Burmese junta's systematic encouragement of narcotics export activity
continues.  Just part of the generals' economic and foreign policy, it
makes a mockery of junta claims to avoid "interference" in the affairs of
other peoples and nations.

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BANGKOK PHUCHATKAN: BURMESE ARMY ALLOWING WA SOLDIERS TO PRODUCE AMPHETAMINES 
8 July, 1999 

[Translated from Thai; excerpted.  Phuchatkan is a business-oriented daily
newspaper.]

The Wa army has begun to expand its narcotics trafficking and armed
personnel to the south to take over the zone under control of the KNU in
Myawadi, which is opposite Thailand's Mae Sot District. It has concluded
negotiations with the Burmese army and the Karen Buddhists on sharing of
trade benefits, including those from narcotics trafficking. Certain local
Thai groups and Thai government officials have helped them to coordinate
marketing networks. 

According to a report of a Thai intelligence unit in Tak Province, on 22
June a Burmese colonel who supervised Burmese Army soldiers in Myawadi held
negotiations with a leader of the United Wa State Army, whose name was not
available, on a plan to deploy Wa volunteers/soldiers in Kokarek town
(QN9405), which was previously under control of the KNU Division 6, and all
the way to Ban Pang Kan (MU3645), formerly under control of the KNU
Division 7. These Wa volunteers/soldiers would work together with Burmese
soldiers to create a line to deny those areas from renewed KNU operations
or mass support. Kokarek town is opposite Thailand's Umphang District,
while Ban Pang Kan is opposite Mae Ramat District. 

The negotiations also concerned compensation the Wa army would receive from
the Burmese army for joining its operation. The Burmese agreed to allow the
Wa army to operate buses between Myawadi-Pa An-Moulmein and to set up
amphetamine production facilities in Myawadi. 


The report also noted that it was agreed that benefits derived from the
amphetamines produced by the Wa army would be shared among three
influential groups in the area. The Wa army will receive 40 percent, the

Burmese army 30 percent, and the remaining 30 percent would be given to the
Karen Buddhists. 

The Burmese army began to set up its base on the bank of the Moei river
southward of the Thai-Burma Friendship Bridge which links Thailand's Mae
Sot District with Burma's Myawadi Province. The Myawadi town is under
control of the Burmese government and the Burmese military intelligence
unit. The DKBA [Democratic Karen Buddhists Army] controls the area deeper
inside Burma around Burengnong market. 

The report noted that Thailand is the market for the amphetamines produced
by the Wa army. In the initial stage, amphetamines would be smuggled in
private cars across the friendship bridge every two or three days. The
amphetamines are also sold to Burmese vendors who smuggle them in Burmese
buses to the markets and temples in Mae Sot District. This smuggling
violates the transport agreement between Thailand and Burma, but it occurs
fairly regularly. 

According to the report, Thai and Burmese government authorities connive
with the narcotics network and share in the benefits. Influential
individuals in the area are also involved in the network. However, no
identities, positions or ranks are given of any of the Thais involved. The
report noted that these influential individuals in Mae Sot and Wa army
officials met two or three times a week in the past 2 months. 

The Wa army reportedly gave two used Toyota pickup trucks to the former KNU
units which deserted General Bo Mya's army in an effort to gain new allies
in the area. 

In addition to sharing the revenue from narcotics trafficking and
production by the Wa army, Burmese soldiers in Myawadi also regulate taxi
operations in Myawadi town by requiring taxi operators to buy its window
stickers at 5,000 kyat each and collecting 1,500 kyat from each truck for
passage. They forward 2 million kyat a month to their headquarters.

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